Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon – July 20, 2018

Semi-evergreen and evergreen forests of Kumaon and garhwal were replaced from oak to pine forests for their use in railway tracks. Also, British cleared them for tea and coffee plantations. Thus, statement (1) is correct.

Himalayan ranges show a succession of vegetation from the tropical to tundra as we move up and not down the slope. Thus, statement (2) is not correct.

Sholas are a type of temperate forests found in Nilgiri, Anaimalai and Palani hills of south India. Thus, statement (3) is correct.

Hence option (a) is correct.

Mass movements are aided by gravity and no geomorphic agent like running water, glaciers, wind, waves and currents participate in this process.

Hence option (b) is correct.

Cirrus clouds are formed at high altitudes (8000-12000 m). They are thin and detached clouds having a feathery appearance. They are always white in color.

Hence option (a) is correct.

Pair 1 is correct.

Zoji La is a high mountain pass in Jammu and Kashmir, India, located on the Indian National Highway 1D between Srinagar and Leh in the western section of the Himalayan mountain range. Zoji La pass provides a vital link between Ladakh and Kashmir Valley.

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, Zoji La was seized by Pakistani supported invaders in 1948 in their campaign to capture Ladakh.

Pair 2 is correct.

The Nathula Pass or Nathu La Pass links the state of Sikkim in India with the Tibetan Autonomous Region in China. The Nathula Pass creates a portion of a branch of the old Silk Road.

Pair 3 is correct.

The Shipki pass or Shipki La Pass is a mountain pass and boundary check post on the border between India and China. The Sutlej River moves into India from Tibet via this pass.

Pair 4 is incorrect.

Bomdila Pass connects Arunachal Pradesh with Bhutan and Lhasa (the capital of Tibet). This mountain pass is situated to the east of Bhutan in the Greater Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh. Owing to the snowfall and adverse weather in the winter season it remains closed.

Some important mountain passes:

Statement 1 is correct

Andaman and Nicobar group of island lie in the Bay of Bengal, The Andaman in the North an the   

Nicobar in the south. They are separated by a water body which is called the Ten Degree channel. The capital of Andaman and Nicobar island is Port Blair.

Statement 2 is correct.

The Lakshadweep group of islands is broadly divided by the Eleventh-Degree channel, north of which is the Amini Island and to the south of the Canannore Island.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

Kerala Coast is the closest to Lakshadweep. Lakshadweep and Minicoy are the islands of the Arabian Sea. They are located at a distance of 280 km – 480 km off the Kerala coasts.

Elfin Forest: Elfin forest is also known as Dwarf forest or pygmy forest. It is a rare ecosystem featuring miniature trees, inhabited by small species of fauna such as rodents and lizards. They are usually located at high elevations, under conditions of sufficient air humidity but poor soil.

There are two main dwarf forest ecosystem types, involving different species and environmental characteristics: coastal temperate and montane tropical regions. Temperate coastal dwarf forest is common for parts of Southern California.

Sclerophyll Forest: Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that has hard leaves, short internodes(The

distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation parallel or oblique to direct sunlight. The sclerophyll leaves have three leaf stress traits used to cope with hot and dry summer.

This type of forest is found in parts of Australia, in the Mediterranean forests and parts of south Africa.

Alpine Forests: Alpine Forests occur at altitudes ranging between 2,900 to 3,500 metres. These forests can be divided into: (1) sub-alpine; (2) moist alpine scrub and (3) dry alpine scrub. It is a mixture of coniferous and broad-leaved trees in which the coniferous trees attain a height of about 30 m while the broad leaved trees reach only 10 m. Fir, spruce, rhododendron, etc. are important species.

Montane Forest: Montane Forest grows at a height of 1800 to 3000 m above sea level. Mean annual rainfall is 150 cm to 300 cm. The trunks have large girth. Branches are clothed with mosses, ferns and other epiphytes. The trees rarely achieve a height of more than 6 metres. Deodar, Chilauni, Indian chestnut, birch, plum, machilus, cinnamomum, litsea, magnolia, blue pine, oak, hemlock, etc. are important species.

In India, Montane Forest is found in higher hills of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, in the Eastern Himalayan region.

The major peninsular rivers from north to south direction:

Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, Krishna, Penneru, Palar, Kaveri and Periyar.